Targeting New Enzyme Could Treat Obesity

University of Copenhagen scientists recently discovered a molecular switch that can force a class of enzymes to break down fat three times faster than usual. The finding could easily be the most important in enzymology to date.

If such a molecular switch exists for all enzymes, then all actions for which these proteins are responsible could be either promoted or inhibited at will. In addition to curbing obesity, the discovery has the potential to reduce the incidence of strokes, heart attacks, and diabetes as well.

“If many enzymes turn out to be switched on in the same way as the ones we’ve studied, this opens a door to understanding- and maybe curing, a wide range of diseases,” professor Dimitrios Stamou says.

The team says that the study is very important because it demonstrates that enzymes work at a fixed level of efficiency for a defined period of time. By changing these attributes, it's possible to make the molecules work faster and more efficiently, Science Blog reports.